Going along for the ride

Submitted photoEmma J. Russell, 8, the Muscular Dystrophy Association's goodwill ambassador for Massachusetts, gets a ride in the sidecar of Michael Turner's motorcycle. Turner is a former Ware firefighter and emergency medical technician.

The first Ware Firefighters' Fill the Boot Ride, a motorcycle trek on May 17 that raised $4,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, had a dignitary in its midst.

Joining the 97 motorcycle enthusiasts, who were aboard 76 bikes that traveled the Quabbin Reservoir area, was 8-year-old Emma J. Russell, who is the association's goodwill ambassador for Massachusetts. Russell, who has congenital myotonic dystrophy, got a ride in the sidecar on former Ware firefighter and emergency medical technician Michael Turner's motorcycle.

Turner, of Ware, also gave Russell a child-size Homer Simpson doll. The event's organizers, Ware Fire Pvt. Randy J. Wessels and acting Lt. Mark W. Lynch said the ride, which began and ended at the Polish Hall in Hardwick, will be held annually. Incidentally, the excess food from the event's post-ride cookout was brought to the Ware Senior Center by Wessels, Lynch and Ware Fire Pvt. Brian W. Coulombe.

Young @ Heart @ Fenway
They have played before audiences in several countries and starred in their own motion picture, but the Young @ Heart Chorus will perform before their biggest house ever on June 21 when they sing the national anthem prior to the Red Sox game at Fenway Park.

Hot on the heels of their movie "Young @ Heart," the chorus has been touring in Utah before returning home to Massachusetts for a gig in Somerville.

The Sox are playing the St. Louis Cardinals. No word whether the chorus will also sing "Sweet Caroline."

But, is he a prince?
If you see a guy dressed up in a frog costume and he looks familiar, it just might be Dana C. Cutter.

The retired teacher and former Chicopee Ward 1 School Committee member recently published a children's book, "Hoppy Hop! Entry to Imagination." The title character is Hoppy Hop, a frog. Cutter will be at the Fairy Tale Festival in Nashua, N.H., on July 12 dressed up in a frog costume promoting his book.

Sales are good, Cutter says, with over 500 copies sold. The book is now being printed in Chinese and Spanish. Other languages are expected to follow.

Lioness rules the club
It is a first for both the Southwick Lions Club and Southwick auditor Linda D. Carr. Carr was installed as the club's first female president in a ceremony that was held at Tuckers' Restaurant June 5.

"I've only been a member of the Lions Club for the past 2½ years, so I was kind of surprised when I was asked to be president," Carr said. "Sure, I'll give it a shot," she said. Her appointment is for one year.

Carr has served as Southwick's auditor since 1985 and is a popular figure around town. She has long been active in community activities.

The Lions Club was established in Southwick 60 years ago and, while well known for its eye glass collections to benefit those in need, the club also annually raises money for local scholarships and support of youth programs.

Highway to Yale
Holyoke lawyer Priscilla F. Chesky has had her hands full lately.

Besides juggling her regular law practice and helping to unravel the Springfield Housing Authority's marathon corruption probe, Chesky has been running a school and soccer-shuttle service for her oldest son Matthew, who just graduated from Deerfield Academy, and his two younger siblings, Max and Allie.

The conflicting demands meant Chesky often seemed to be in several places at once: state or federal court, the SHA offices, Interstate 91 and a soccer field or two.

The hectic pace paid off: the SHA will soon be getting back much of the $2.4 million pirated by former director Raymond B. Asselin for his Cape Cod beach house, and Matt Chesky has enrolled at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., where, by the way, he can walk to the soccer field.

Changing of the guard Roseann Martoccia, of Belchertown, executive director of Franklin County Home Care Corp., is stepping down as president of Massachusetts Home Care, a statewide association of 30 agencies that serve the elderly.

Martoccia, association president for the past two years, will be recognized at an event to mark the 25th anniversary of Massachusetts Home Care, the group that fought successfully for a state law that gives elderly and disabled on Medicaid a choice between a nursing home or home care.

The association will mark its silver anniversary on June 16 during a luncheon at the Marriott in Burlington.

Albert H. Norman, of Greenfield, is executive director of the association, which has an office in Montague.

Every dog has its day, or tree
During a hearing about shade tree removal on Emery Street in Palmer, At-large Town Councilor George A. Backus jokingly asked Acting Public Works Superintendent Richard P. Kaczmarczyk if he had done a survey of the dogs in the area.

"They may have a favorite tree," Backus quipped.

Sharing stage with Bill Gates
University of Massachusetts graduate student Patrick Deegan took the stage with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at the company's TechEd developers conference in Orlando recently and introduced the "Ballmer-bot," a robot made to imitate and act like Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's CEO.

Deegan, who was demonstrating the robot, showed the robot's arm movement and said "this makes it so that it's even able to throw eggs." Ballmer was speaking at the Corvinus University of Budapest last month when a student began shouting and tossing eggs at him.

MONDAY'S C&W AGENDA: Don't miss The Republican tomorrow for Cries & Whispers on food for the soul in Sen. Kennedy's office, a short and sweet speech at Holyoke High's graduation, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama's possible shared history and other items too interesting to ignore. Reach us at cries@repub.com